Former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin sworn in as minister in Telangana's cabinet

Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin has been sworn in as a minister in the Telangana cabinet at a ceremony held on Friday.The oath-taking ceremony was conducted at Raj Bhavan, where Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administered the oath in the presence of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other prominent leaders.Azharuddin's inclusion has brought the total cabinet strength to 16, leaving room for two more ministers. Telangana can accommodate up to 18 ministers based on its Assembly strength.The Congress leader will now contest the Jubilee Hills by-election, which has a significant Muslim voter base of over one lakh people. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June due to a heart attack.Azharuddin's appointment comes after the Telangana Congress requested the party's senior leadership to include him, as there was no minority representation in the state cabinet. He becomes the first minister from the minority community in Revanth Reddy's cabinet.The Congress leadership's decision to induct Azharuddin may have been influenced by the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, where Muslim voters form a significant voting bloc in the eastern state.

In August, the Telangana government nominated Azharuddin as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor's quota. However, the appointment is still pending Governor Jishnu Dev Varma's approval.Prior to this appointment, Azharuddin had unsuccessfully contested from the Jubilee Hills Assembly segment in the 2023 polls.